The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE USB modem, made by Novatel Wireless, which the company states is “the smallest LTE USB modem available today”, will be available in Verizon stores and online this Thursday, March 31st. According to Verizon, the device is up to fifty percent smaller than competing products.
The USB551L has download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. The modem supports Windows XP 32-bit, Vista 32/64-bit (SP2), Windows 7 32/64-bit, and Mac 10.4 or higher.
It will be $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and that price comes with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan, which start at $50 a month for 5GB.
Corporate quote: “The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability.”
The full press release is below: THE VERIZON USB551L 4G LTE MODEM LANDS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK MARCH31ST
Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31st in Verizon WirelessKey Features:
Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L
give customers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of
2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area in a portable device,
small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and
reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check
email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family,
friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage
area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.
€ Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna
technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range.
€ Supports Windows ® XP 32-bit, Vista® 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows® 7
32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higherPricing and Data Plans
€ The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in
rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
€ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB.
Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt,
customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data
usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at
Source : www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.
I long ago stopped wearing a watch on my wrist when the iPhone became my go to timepiece. If you like your iPhone and want an old school pocket watch to boot, we have the case for you. This fancy case has what appears to be crocodile skin leather and a fancy watch on the back.
That pocket watch movement on the back of the case is certainly the big feature here. The watch is a De Bethune DB 1024 movement nestled on the on the back of the case. It’ looks pretty cool actually, but with the way my iPhone cases tend to get scratched I don’t even want to think what this case would look like in a few months.
I also don’t even want to think about what would happen to that fancy watch or my iPhone if I dropped the thing. There is no word on pricing, but considering the fancy nature and style I am betting it’s not cheap at all.
[via CrunchGear
Nintendo has said that the new 3DS handheld game system has set a day-one sales record. Specifically, the company said day one sales were “the highest of any Nintendo hand-held system in our history.” They have not provided specific sales figures at this time, saying they reveal first-week sales figures for the system on April 14th. The 3DS seems to be avoiding the shortages which occurred with the Wii, and there are plenty of 3DS handhelds in stock at Toys R Us, Target, and other retailers.
The company said they “worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward.” So even if you didn’t have the foresight to pre-order a 3DS, you can probably just pick one up at your local store with no problem. The glasses-free 3D system has a lineup of 3D games available now as well, and a Toys R Us representative said that Super Street Fighter IV, Pilotwings Resort, and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars were all selling well, especially with the retailer’s “buy one, get one half off” offer.
For more on the 3DS, be sure to check out our full review. Have you tried it out yet? What do you think?
[via Game Stop]
iMobot modular robots, developed by researchers at UC Davis, are small modules that link together like a chain to form larger robotic modules. The modules have two joints at the center which can rotate 180 degrees. The robots have four degrees of freedom, so they can stand themselves up, roll end over end, stack themselves, and inch along like a caterpillar. They can even carry cameras. And the researchers are looking to make them available commercially soon. Read more, and see a video of the iMobot in action after the break.
The researchers propose that the robot could be used for search and rescue operations, as well as robotics research. Another idea is a snake-like robot with a camera that could climb a tree for surveillance. The iMobots have rotating faceplates at each end, which turn continuously so that the robot can roll along like a truck. Creators Graham Ryland and Harry Cheng are planning further research exploring using clusters of iMobots which would work together in larger configurations. The two received a $150,000 National Science Foundation grant to start their company, Barobo Inc. They have applied for a patent, and plan to commercialize the iMobot.
If you think one of these might come in handy, you can find out about the Barobo Inc. early adopter program here. They hope to have the robots available by the end of the year. I know my two year old would love one of these, but it might be a bit out of our price range.
Yes, that’s right. According to a new IDC forecast for the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7, now the number 5 mobile OS and holding only a 5% marketshare, will shoot up to the number 2 spot just three years from now. The number one spot, according to the forecast, will be kept by Android. Forgive us if we’re a bit skeptical.
In such a fast growing and rapidly changing market, three years is an eternity. So it is very tough to put much credence in a long term prediction for the smartphone market, which is predicted to grow by 49% this year alone. The prediction is based, in part, on the fact that iOS has plateaued recently. But it is due for a facelift, likely coming soon. And Nokia’s WP7 devices aren’t even due out until 2012, so it is hard to say what the reaction to them will be. And there is also RIM and HP’s WebOS to reckon with.
According to the report: “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team, “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”
If the prediction is correct, it will probably be because enterprise widely decides to embrace WP7. And it will also depend on the type of handsets the OS is available on, and how the ongoing relationship with Nokia and Microsoft develops. We will be sure to keep you up to date on new developments, and if WP7 does rocket to the top, SlashGear will be here to report on it.
[via ZDNet]
We have talked about the green and awesome Tesla Roadster a lot in the past. This is easily the coolest of the EVs for me since looks like a sports car, had loads of performance, and promises a long driving range with no stops at the pump. Tesla has announced that its Roadster fleet has hit a major milestone.
Tesla has announced that Roadsters have now driven 10 million miles to date. The cars are in 30 different counties, have altogether saved 500,000 gallons of fuel, and prevented 5.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Tesla’s little Roadster can hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and promises a driving range of 245 miles on a charge. This is an awesome little car and Tesla has a larger car coming as well called the Model S. The model S is a sedan with more seating for passengers.
Tesla has announced that Roadsters have now driven 10 million miles to date. The cars are in 30 different counties, have altogether saved 500,000 gallons of fuel, and prevented 5.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Tesla’s little Roadster can hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and promises a driving range of 245 miles on a charge. This is an awesome little car and Tesla has a larger car coming as well called the Model S. The model S is a sedan with more seating for passengers.
iSuppli routinely takes gadgets that are new and popular and tears them down to see what’s used inside and gives us an idea of how much each of the devices costs to build. The latest gadget on the iSuppli chopping block is the Nintendo 3DS. iSuppli reports that the BOM for the 3DS is $100.71.
That price is for hardware only and doesn’t count the marketing machine behind the portable console, but it still sounds like Nintendo is making some money off the console. When you add in the cost of putting the 3DS together the BOM figure grows to $103.25. The 3DS is notably more expensive to make than the previous Nintendo DSi that had a BOM of $75.58.
The displays are from Sharp, are $33.80 each, and are the most expensive part of the device. The processing chip inside the machine is thought to be about $10 and the camera subsystem is about $4.70 with the memory costing $6.81. The battery is estimates at $3.50.
That price is for hardware only and doesn’t count the marketing machine behind the portable console, but it still sounds like Nintendo is making some money off the console. When you add in the cost of putting the 3DS together the BOM figure grows to $103.25. The 3DS is notably more expensive to make than the previous Nintendo DSi that had a BOM of $75.58.
The displays are from Sharp, are $33.80 each, and are the most expensive part of the device. The processing chip inside the machine is thought to be about $10 and the camera subsystem is about $4.70 with the memory costing $6.81. The battery is estimates at $3.50.
[via iSuppli
We’ve been gradually building a picture of the Nokia E6-00 over the past few months, but the unannounced Symbian smartphone has just seen its biggest leak to-date. A prototype has apparently found its way to the NokioTeca forums and been thoroughly snapped, tested and detailed. On the confirmed list, a VGA resolution capacitive touchscreen, paired with a physical keyboard, and an 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording.
Videos after the cut
There’s also a new version of Symbian^3, tweaked to suit the landscape-orientation display, and a microUSB port, along with a 3.5mm headphone socket. No HDMI that we can spot, unlike the N8, and the E6-00 appears to follow the E7 in dropping the traditional 2mm charging socket.
A new Symbian device is perhaps not what we’re really waiting for from Nokia, but the company has built a loyal following of portrait-QWERTY lovers and the E6-00 will likely find a niche among those. Short’n'blurry video demo below.
[via My Nokia Blog]
There’s also a new version of Symbian^3, tweaked to suit the landscape-orientation display, and a microUSB port, along with a 3.5mm headphone socket. No HDMI that we can spot, unlike the N8, and the E6-00 appears to follow the E7 in dropping the traditional 2mm charging socket.
A new Symbian device is perhaps not what we’re really waiting for from Nokia, but the company has built a loyal following of portrait-QWERTY lovers and the E6-00 will likely find a niche among those. Short’n'blurry video demo below.
[via My Nokia Blog]
JBL‘s latest iPod speaker dock has broken cover, and the JBL OnBeat joins the rare group of those units that support the iPad as well. Thanks to a range of docking clamps – which rotate to support iPhone and iPod touch landscape orientation – the OnBeat will accept your iPad or iPad 2, along with a 3.5mm aux-in for using other PMPs.
As you’d expect, the OnBeat charges your iPod while it’s hooked up, and there’s a USB connection so you can sync it with iTunes as well. There’s also a composite video output, so you can hook up a TV rather than squinting at a 3.5-inch screen.
JBL throw an infra-red remote in the box too, along with all the dock brackets you’ll need, while the speakers use a 2 x 7.5-watt amp with various DSP systems to massage the sound. The OnBeat is available in April, priced at $149.95.
Press Release:JBL throw an infra-red remote in the box too, along with all the dock brackets you’ll need, while the speakers use a 2 x 7.5-watt amp with various DSP systems to massage the sound. The OnBeat is available in April, priced at $149.95.
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HARMAN Brings Entertainment Experience on iPad® to Life with JBL OnBeat™ Speaker Dock
Company whose legendary JBL brand brought the first sound to cinema introduces a new loudspeaker dock, bringing the same dynamic sound to the next wave of technology: iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® devices
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), today announced the release of its new JBL OnBeat™ loudspeaker docking station, a JBL® dock to bring your next-generation entertainment experience to life, delivering realistic, dynamic sound with any iPad®, iPhone® or iPod® device.
“Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more”
Bringing Netflix® movie streaming, gaming, YouTube clip watching and more to an entirely new level with HARMAN’s signature sound quality, the JBL OnBeat dock features dual Phoenix full-range transducers with computer-optimized DSP equalization, creating a richly detailed soundstage. A universal connector that firmly docks an iPad, iPod or iPhone lets you rotate iPod and iPhone screens to portrait or landscape orientation for the best video display, and an infrared remote (IR) puts you in full control of system functions and music navigation from across the room.
Stream action-packed movies and intimate family photos and videos, and share the hottest content on the Web in your living room with family and friends through the addition of an optional composite cable that can send video content from the device directly to your TV.
“Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more,” said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. “Our goal is to awaken our senses to the power that great sound and music can have on bringing media to life through the most cutting-edge devices out on the market right now.”
The new JBL OnBeat also features a USB connection to sync and charge devices when connected to the iTunes® music library (cable not included), and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack auxiliary input that connects to virtually all portable media devices (cable not included). The dock features a dynamic JBL Weave design styling that is as sculptural as it is conversation-starting. Brackets to attach the iPod, iPhone and iPad to the dock are included in the package. The JBL OnBeat also serves as a charging station for your iPod or iPhone while it is docked.
Pricing and Availability
The JBL OnBeat loudspeaker dock is available in April in black for $149.95. For additional information or to purchase, visit http://www.jbl.com/onbeat.
AMD may have got a spanking with NVIDIA’s GTX 590 – on paper at least – eclipsing their own Radeon HD 6990, but the company isn’t wasting time weeping and applying cooling balm. Instead it’s apparently readying the AMD Radeon HD 6790, according to NordicHardware, set to take on NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 550 Ti in the lucrative mid-range segment, with a Barts LE core based on the GPUs used in the Radeon HD 6800 series.
According to the leak, the HD 6790 will have 10 stream units for a total of 800 processors, an 850MHz GPU frequency, 30 texture units and 32 ROPs, along with a 256-bit memory interface. It will have 1GB of GDDR5 memory and support up to 1.34 TFLOPs performance with a 33.6 Gtexel/s texture fillrate.
That, as the chart below suggests, will slot the HD 6790 in at the low-end under the HD 6850 and HD 6870; it’s also possible that AMD could brand it the Radeon HD 6830. Production cards are likely to drop at around the $150 price point, with a launch expected on April 5.
According to the leak, the HD 6790 will have 10 stream units for a total of 800 processors, an 850MHz GPU frequency, 30 texture units and 32 ROPs, along with a 256-bit memory interface. It will have 1GB of GDDR5 memory and support up to 1.34 TFLOPs performance with a 33.6 Gtexel/s texture fillrate.
That, as the chart below suggests, will slot the HD 6790 in at the low-end under the HD 6850 and HD 6870; it’s also possible that AMD could brand it the Radeon HD 6830. Production cards are likely to drop at around the $150 price point, with a launch expected on April 5.
[via Expreview]
We’ve always been told that it’s better to talk up your abilities than criticize those of your rivals, but it seems HP couldn’t bottle up its Apple resentment any longer. HP exec Stephen DeWitt told CRN that Apple’s poor commitment to its partners is their biggest weakness, describing its philosophy as “absurd” and suggesting that HP would be looking to create the equivalent of an “Elite” line in its webOS-based mobility products.
As well as that branding, HP will also open up its purse and shake money in the faces of developers. This will bring new partners to us because we are getting into the application space, which involves muscles that we haven’t exercised in some time,” DeWitt suggested, going on to point out that there would be a phase of re-education for the company. “This is new business for our partners, and its new business for HP, and we’re going to learn where we need to invest.”
CRN musters up an anonymous solution provider who has experience working with both Apple and HP in the past, and who praises the PC company for being “very channel friendly” whereas with its Cupertino rival “it really feels like they’re holding you hostage sometimes.” Whether webOS on every PC and a new focus on the cloud and services are enough to persuade users that HP devices have the same cachet as Apple hardware remains to be seen, however.
As well as that branding, HP will also open up its purse and shake money in the faces of developers. This will bring new partners to us because we are getting into the application space, which involves muscles that we haven’t exercised in some time,” DeWitt suggested, going on to point out that there would be a phase of re-education for the company. “This is new business for our partners, and its new business for HP, and we’re going to learn where we need to invest.”
CRN musters up an anonymous solution provider who has experience working with both Apple and HP in the past, and who praises the PC company for being “very channel friendly” whereas with its Cupertino rival “it really feels like they’re holding you hostage sometimes.” Whether webOS on every PC and a new focus on the cloud and services are enough to persuade users that HP devices have the same cachet as Apple hardware remains to be seen, however.
LG’s Smart TV Upgrader ST600 is apparently only weeks away from launch, with Amazon taking orders for the internet-enabled STB and suggesting a ship-date in two to five weeks time. Priced at $129.99, the ST600 will turn any TV – and it needn’t be an LG model – into a smart TV, complete with Netflix, VUDU and CinemaNow streaming, a browser, and LG TV Apps. However, there’s also Plex functionality in the pipeline as well.
Plex – which is a media server app for PC or Mac – has confirmed that its system will be supported on the LG Smart TV under the name MediaLink. That will allow streaming of digital content (in addition to real-time transcoding) from a home media server to the ST600 (or, indeed, to your PC/Mac or a smartphone/tablet).
According to Automated Home, Plex support won’t be present on the Smart TV Upgrader out of the box, but will follow on in a free firmware update come Q3 (or potentially earlier). The box supports 1080p HD, integrated WiFi b/g/n and lashings of codec support;
Plex – which is a media server app for PC or Mac – has confirmed that its system will be supported on the LG Smart TV under the name MediaLink. That will allow streaming of digital content (in addition to real-time transcoding) from a home media server to the ST600 (or, indeed, to your PC/Mac or a smartphone/tablet).
According to Automated Home, Plex support won’t be present on the Smart TV Upgrader out of the box, but will follow on in a free firmware update come Q3 (or potentially earlier). The box supports 1080p HD, integrated WiFi b/g/n and lashings of codec support;
[youtube 5660INkAGjE]
Nokia has filed a second ITC complaint against Apple, claiming that seven patents it holds are being infringed “in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.” According to the Finnish company’s patent lawyers, Apple is using Nokia IP in its multi-tasking OSes, data sync technology, positioning, call quality and the Bluetooth accessory systems.In fact, it means that Nokia now has a whopping 46 patents in suit against Apple, with Paul Melin, Vice President of Intellectual Property at Nokia pointing out that “many [were] filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone.” The case has not only been filed with the ITC but in the Delaware courts, joining an international portfolio of litigation in which the only happy people are probably the lawyers.
Still, no matter how much Nokia talks about its strong patent position, it doesn’t seem the courts necessarily agree. The ITC recently rejected the company’s claims in a previous patent case against Apple.
Nokia files second ITC complaint against Apple
Published March 29, 2011
Alleges Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all products
Espoo, Finland – Nokia has filed a further complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.
The seven Nokia patents in the new complaint relate to Nokia’s pioneering innovations that are now being used by Apple to create key features in its products in the areas of multi-tasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories.
This second ITC complaint follows the initial determination in Nokia’s earlier ITC filing, announced by the ITC on Friday, March 25. Nokia does not agree with the ITC’s initial determination that there was no violation of Section 337 in that complaint and is waiting to see the full details of the ruling before deciding on the next steps in that case.
In addition to the two ITC complaints, Nokia has filed cases on the same patents and others in Delaware, US and has further cases proceeding in Mannheim, Dusseldorf and the Federal Patent Court in Germany, the UK High Court in London and the District Court of the Hague in the Netherlands, some of which will come to trial in the next few months.
“Our latest ITC filing means we now have 46 Nokia patents in suit against Apple, many filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone,” said Paul Melin, Vice President, Intellectual Property at Nokia. “Nokia is a leading innovator in technologies needed to build great mobile products and Apple must stop building its products using Nokia’s proprietary innovation.”
During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry’s strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families. Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia’s strong patent position.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab P1010 – the WiFi-only version of Samsung’s 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet – has gone up for pre-order at Amazon UK, complete with an estimated ship date of March 31. Priced at £299 ($477), or £100 less than the unlocked 3G-equipped P1000, the new version has the same 1024 x 600 touchscreen, WiFi, single-core 1GHz processor and 16GB of storage.
As for the US market, the last leak suggested Samsung would be offering the P1010 on April 4 with a $399 price tag. There’s no sign of the WiFi-only version on Amazon US as yet, but the timing suggested by the leak and Amazon UK’s schedule do match up. Whether the P1010 is arriving too late to make an impact, especially with Honeycomb models like the XOOM already on sale, will remain to be seen.
As for the US market, the last leak suggested Samsung would be offering the P1010 on April 4 with a $399 price tag. There’s no sign of the WiFi-only version on Amazon US as yet, but the timing suggested by the leak and Amazon UK’s schedule do match up. Whether the P1010 is arriving too late to make an impact, especially with Honeycomb models like the XOOM already on sale, will remain to be seen.
[via Android Community]
Android will take the top spot for smartphone OS worldwide in 2011, analysts IDC have predicted, pushing iOS into third place behind Symbian. As for Microsoft, while the Symbian-faithful aren’t entirely convinced by Nokia’s decision to climb aboard the Windows Phone train, IDC is more confident in the two companies’ partnership. “By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android,” senior research analyst Ramon Llamas predicts.
Parallel to that, the expectation is that Symbian market share will dwindle considerably, falling from an expected 20.9-percent in 2011 to just 0.2-percent in 2015. RIM and Apple are both forecast to lose market share, with BlackBerry OS dropping from 14.9-percent to 13.7-percent, and iOS from 15.7-percent to 15.3-percent.
The changes at the top end are all about sheer scale of handset production, with Nokia’s hardware potential and Android’s increasing popularity among OEMs being the key reason for their dominance. Apple, meanwhile, has fewer products running iOS, but the appeal of the platform and the company as a whole keeps them relevant.
Press Release:IDC Forecasts Worldwide Smartphone Market to Grow by Nearly 50% in 2011
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. March 29, 2011 – The worldwide smartphone market is expected to grow 49.2% in 2011 as more consumers and enterprise users turn in feature phones for smartphones with more advanced features. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors will ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010. Moreover, the smartphone market will grow more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market.
“Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Last year’s high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010.”
To capture the strong consumer demand for smartphones, manufacturers have unleashed a steady stream of new models and features over the past two years. The battle for mind and market share has also resulted in stiff competition among the smartphone operating systems.
“Android is poised to take over as the leading smartphone operating system in 2011 after racing into the number 2 position in 2010,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party. This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users.”
Nokia’s recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward. “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” added Llamas. “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”
Lenovo’s ThinkPad W520 mobile workstation has gone up for sale, with the 15.6-inch notebook priced from $1,449 with an Intel Core-i7 processor. Announced back in February, the W520 starts out with a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M chip, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Optimus graphics, but $1,649 gets you the quadcore 2.2GHz Core i7-2720QM processor.
Options, meanwhile, include up to a 1920 x 1080 display (to replace the standard 1366 x 768 panel), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of regular hard-drive or up to 160GB of SSD, and both Bluetooth 3.0 and integrated WWAN. The regular model comes with a DVD burner, 6-cell battery and WiFi b/g/n.
The obvious comparison is Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro, recently updated with the same quadcore processor. That comes with more hard-drive space as standard, as well as a few other niceties, but also starts from $2,199.
Options, meanwhile, include up to a 1920 x 1080 display (to replace the standard 1366 x 768 panel), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of regular hard-drive or up to 160GB of SSD, and both Bluetooth 3.0 and integrated WWAN. The regular model comes with a DVD burner, 6-cell battery and WiFi b/g/n.
The obvious comparison is Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro, recently updated with the same quadcore processor. That comes with more hard-drive space as standard, as well as a few other niceties, but also starts from $2,199.
[via Logicbuy]
If you are in the market for a new laptop and like the idea of 3D capability, Fujitsu is now shipping its latest notebook that might pique your interest. The machine is called the LifeBook AH572 and it has some really nice specs. The biggest feature is probably the 3D capability.
It uses passive 3D glasses and the 15.6-inch screen has an Xpol 3D filter on it. The screen resolution is 1366 x 768 and it has 400nits brightness. The notebook uses an Intel Core 15-2410M 2.3GHz CPU and has integrated HD 3000 graphics.
Fujitsu putts 4GB of DDR3 RAM inside the machine and it has 500GB of storage. Power for the rig comes from a 6-cell battery that will power the machine for up to seven hours. The notebook also has a 1.3MP webcam and can record 3D video. The AH572 sells for $999.
It uses passive 3D glasses and the 15.6-inch screen has an Xpol 3D filter on it. The screen resolution is 1366 x 768 and it has 400nits brightness. The notebook uses an Intel Core 15-2410M 2.3GHz CPU and has integrated HD 3000 graphics.
Fujitsu putts 4GB of DDR3 RAM inside the machine and it has 500GB of storage. Power for the rig comes from a 6-cell battery that will power the machine for up to seven hours. The notebook also has a 1.3MP webcam and can record 3D video. The AH572 sells for $999.
Fans of the Olympus PEN camera range have something to be excited about today. Three new cameras have been tipped for the range. A rumor points to three new camera models set to land. The rumor originated with PhotoRadar and claims that one of the new cams will have a touchscreen on the back.
Along with that touchscreen PEN will also reportedly come a new mid-range camera for the PEN line with a tilting screen and a new PEN camera with flash. The rumors claim the announcement on the new cameras will be made as early as next month.
43rumors reports that its sources say there will be no new cameras landing from Olympus next month. It says that the May/June period is when new cameras are expected. As with all rumors take these with a grain of salt and we will just have to wait and see what pans out to be the correct rumor.
Along with that touchscreen PEN will also reportedly come a new mid-range camera for the PEN line with a tilting screen and a new PEN camera with flash. The rumors claim the announcement on the new cameras will be made as early as next month.
43rumors reports that its sources say there will be no new cameras landing from Olympus next month. It says that the May/June period is when new cameras are expected. As with all rumors take these with a grain of salt and we will just have to wait and see what pans out to be the correct rumor.
[via 43rumors]
QNAP has unveiled a new storage device that is aimed at the business and enterprise user called the TS-559 II Turbo NAS. This device is a storage platform that will work with just about any platform including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix operating systems. It acts as a centralized backup point and allows for printer sharing, FTP download, and video surveillance recording.
The device claims to be the industry’s first business-class NAS deice with next generation tech inside like support for 6Gb/s SATA III ports. The enclosure supports up to five hot swap 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDDs up to 3TB each for a total capacity of 15TB. The device has 1GB of DDR3 RAM inside and that RAM can be updated to 3GB.
The NAS enclosure supports both eSATA and USB 3.0 ports with dual gigabit Ethernet interfaces with load balancing and fail over. It will also support multiple RAID levels including RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, 10+hot spare, 5+hot spare, or 6+hot spare. The device also supports virtualization with advanced iSCSI services.
If you have a bunch of gadgets that you want to get onto a speedy 4G LTE network at the same time what you need is a mobile hotspot like the new Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. This gadget is model number SCH-LC11 and the little device is now shipping directly from Verizon. The hotspot promises to give you 10x the speed of a 3G hotspot.
The LC11 is available right now and will cost you $269.99 at full retail price or $149.99 with a 2-year contract. Verizon will also give you a $50 instant discount if you buy online bringing the price to $99.99 with free shipping. The hotspot can share the 4G speed with up to five other devices using WiFi.
Inside the little black device is a MDM9600 chipset and a 4G SIM card. It is VPN compatible and has autoconnect. WiFi support includes 802.11b/g/n and it has a USB port that is used for charging the internal battery. The device measures 2.32″ x 3.54″ x 0.45″ and weighs 2.7 ounces. It is good for up to 216 minutes of use and nine hours on standby.
The LC11 is available right now and will cost you $269.99 at full retail price or $149.99 with a 2-year contract. Verizon will also give you a $50 instant discount if you buy online bringing the price to $99.99 with free shipping. The hotspot can share the 4G speed with up to five other devices using WiFi.
Inside the little black device is a MDM9600 chipset and a 4G SIM card. It is VPN compatible and has autoconnect. WiFi support includes 802.11b/g/n and it has a USB port that is used for charging the internal battery. The device measures 2.32″ x 3.54″ x 0.45″ and weighs 2.7 ounces. It is good for up to 216 minutes of use and nine hours on standby.
The tragedy in Japan is no laughing matter and to be sure that no jokes are made that might be seen to poke fun at the nuclear crisis in Japan after the earthquake and resulting tsunami, episodes of the Simpsons are being editing in some parts of Europe. Censors are removing references to any nuclear disasters or radiation from episodes and simply keeping some episodes from airing. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are all editing episodes to remove any jokes or references to disasters at the nuclear power plant where Homer “works.” A couple episodes of the show have already been pulled including episode 66 called “Marge Gets a Job” and Episode 346 “On a Clear Day I can See My Sister.” Those episodes have jokes about meltdowns and other things having to do with the nuclear plant. In total eight episodes are being held back until the end of April and then they will be reviewed again to see if the jokes are appropriate. I would assume once the Japan crisis with the reactors is squared away Europeans would again get normal episodes.
The tragedy in Japan is no laughing matter and to be sure that no jokes are made that might be seen to poke fun at the nuclear crisis in Japan after the earthquake and resulting tsunami, episodes of the Simpsons are being editing in some parts of Europe. Censors are removing references to any nuclear disasters or radiation from episodes and simply keeping some episodes from airing.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are all editing episodes to remove any jokes or references to disasters at the nuclear power plant where Homer “works.” A couple episodes of the show have already been pulled including episode 66 called “Marge Gets a Job” and Episode 346 “On a Clear Day I can See My Sister.”
Those episodes have jokes about meltdowns and other things having to do with the nuclear plant. In total eight episodes are being held back until the end of April and then they will be reviewed again to see if the jokes are appropriate. I would assume once the Japan crisis with the reactors is squared away Europeans would again get normal episodes.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are all editing episodes to remove any jokes or references to disasters at the nuclear power plant where Homer “works.” A couple episodes of the show have already been pulled including episode 66 called “Marge Gets a Job” and Episode 346 “On a Clear Day I can See My Sister.”
Those episodes have jokes about meltdowns and other things having to do with the nuclear plant. In total eight episodes are being held back until the end of April and then they will be reviewed again to see if the jokes are appropriate. I would assume once the Japan crisis with the reactors is squared away Europeans would again get normal episodes.
Amazon has confirmed that digital subscribers to the New York Times Kindle edition will get free access to the newspaper’s website as part of their bundled content. The NY Times paywall – announced earlier this month and in operation since yesterday – is priced from $15 per month for web and smartphone access, but if you have a $19.99 per month Kindle subscription you’ll also be able to access the main site.
It’s worth noting that the Kindle edition of the NY Times can’t be read on Amazon’s Kindle apps – such as for iPad, iPhone and Android – only on proper Kindle hardware. No word on when exactly the bundled access will be enabled; Amazon says subscribers will be told more “in the coming weeks.”
Press Release:
Kindle New York Times Customers to Receive Free Access to NYTimes.comKindle New York Times subscription will include online access at no additional chargeSEATTLE—March 28, 2011—(NASDAQ; AMZN)—Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that customers who subscribe to The New York Times for Kindle will be receiving access to The New York Times Web site at no additional charge. The date for Kindle New York Times subscribers’ free online access is yet undetermined; subscribers will receive further communication via e-mail in the coming weeks.“Customers love reading The New York Times on their Kindles,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “Given The Times’ transition to a digital subscription model, we’re excited to be able to offer Kindle subscribers online access to all the digital content available at NYTimes.com at no additional cost.”“The Times’ digital subscription plan was designed to offer access to our high-quality journalism across a variety of platforms,” said Yasmin Namini, senior vice president, marketing and circulation, and general manager, reader applications, The New York Times Media Group. “New York Times readers on Kindle are a very loyal and important audience, and we are pleased be able to include online access as part of their subscription experience.”The New York Times is the bestselling newspaper in the Kindle Store.For more information and to order The New York Times for your Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/nytimes.
Sony Ericsson has confirmed that it will be offering an official bootloader unlock for certain Android handsets in its 2011 range, following developer and owner requests for more flexible access to third-party ROMs and modifications. According to the company, only SIM-unlocked handsets will be eligible (as well as certain other limitations based on market and phone pre-configuration) but the XPERIA Play, Arc, Neo and Pro will all be included in at least some form.
There’s also some cautionary words about the potential impact on your warranty, with Sony Ericsson warning that loading unofficial ROMs could not only void it, but leave you open to a “handling fee” should the company later repair your device. More information on the unlocking service will be shared later in the spring, Sony Ericsson promises.
There’s also some cautionary words about the potential impact on your warranty, with Sony Ericsson warning that loading unofficial ROMs could not only void it, but leave you open to a “handling fee” should the company later repair your device. More information on the unlocking service will be shared later in the spring, Sony Ericsson promises.
[via Android Community]
Acer has officially confirmed pricing and availability for the Acer Iconia Touchbook, its dual-display 14-inch touchscreen notebook. The Windows 7 based twin-tablet will hit the US and Canada in April, priced at $1,199.99 US (or $1,199 CAD), packing an Intel Core i5 processor, USB 3.0, HDMI, WiFi b/g/n and a customized software suite.
That software suite includes a touch-based browser, a clippings app called MyJournal, a social network aggregator pulling in Flickr, Facebook and YouTube content, and various other digital media tools. There’s also an on-screen keyboard and gesture support, along with Gorilla Glass to protect both of the displays. RAM is 4GB as standard, as is a 640GB hard-drive and 1.3-megapixel webcam.
At last week’s UK launch event for the Iconia Tab W500, Acer told us that sales of the Iconia Touchbook – which has been on sale in the UK since mid-January – had been “good, for the £1,500 segment” but declined to give specific figures.
At last week’s UK launch event for the Iconia Tab W500, Acer told us that sales of the Iconia Touchbook – which has been on sale in the UK since mid-January – had been “good, for the £1,500 segment” but declined to give specific figures.
[via CrunchGear]
Press Release:Acer Iconia Touchbook Dual-Screen Tablet Provides Engaging, Natural Way to Interact with Digital DataWorld’s First and Only Tablet Featuring Two 14-inch Touch Screen Displays Now Available for Pre-Sale in the U.S. and CanadaSAN JOSE, CA – March 29, 2011 – Acer today announced that its much anticipated dual screen tablet, the Iconia-6120 Dual-Screen Touchbook is now available for pre-sale in North America. Providing a powerful, immersive touch experience like no other, it is the world’s first and only tablet to offer two touch-enabled 14-inch high-definition widescreen LED backlit LCDs.Intuitive to use and customizable to individual needs, it combines the power of Intel Core i5 processing with the familiarity of Windows 7, and is destined to change how people use technology to engage with the world. A winner of this year’s prestigious “Last Gadget Standing” award at CES, the Iconia was noted for incorporating the best features of any notebook or tablet device.With the flexibility to use a finger, type on a virtual keyboard, or use a combination of both, the Iconia Touchbook provides many ways to make the computing experience a truly personal one. Consumers can customize what is shown on each screen, allowing them to watch a video on the top screen and browse their multimedia library on the bottom one, or view a single web page across the two displays. Using the bottom screen to manage and control the action on the top screen keeps presentations, movies or web pages free of icons and other navigational tools.Extremely durable and scratch resistant, the Iconia’s 14-inch LCDs are made of ultra-thin Gorilla® Glass from Corning, a renowned manufacturer of extremely durable glass. With a wipe and clean coating, it’s easy to keep the displays shiny and smudge-free.“The Acer Iconia Touchbook delivers a computing and visual experience like no other,” said Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing manager, Acer America. “Whether the Touchbook is used by a small business owner or a student, its unique dual screen design enhances the interaction they will have with their digital data. Our compelling design and applications will let them discover new and much more personal ways to communicate and enjoy the computing experience, regardless of whether it’s work related or for personal enjoyment.”The Heart of Iconia – the Acer Ring Control InterfaceThe unique Acer Ring Control Interface makes navigating by touch simple and intuitive. By placing five fingers in a circular pattern on the bottom display, the Acer Ring appears, providing instant access to favorite applications and features. From this point, consumers can use their fingertip or launch the virtual keyboard to change the tablet’s settings, surf the web, capture screen images, post photos and status updates to a social network, watch a movie and more, all in the manner most comfortable and natural to them.AppCards Provide Quick and Easy Access to Productivity and Entertainment-Based Applications
Appearing on the either side of the Acer Ring is a unique set of Iconia touch-based applications, called AppCards. Using a finger, users can scroll to the one they want, and simply tap it to have instant access to a range of compelling programs ideal for either business or home use.• TouchBrowser is specifically designed to offer a more comfortable web surfing experience when using touch input. Upon launching, web content will flow across both screens. A toolbar at the bottom of either screen provides easy control over the open pages. To enter a website address, consumers can use the virtual keyboard or enter it using handwriting gestures. A pinching action will zoom in on the content on the page. Pages can be added to Favorites by simply tapping the Add Favorites icon.• MyJournal is a handy place to keep clippings of websites and other information. Images can be captured from any web page and organized onto a single, easy-to-view page. It includes pre-set tabs for News, Sports, Entertainment, Politics and Business. The selected website content on the tabbed pages is automatically updated each time it’s opened. A toolbar at the top of the page makes it easy to edit, resize, rename and move clips to other pages. In a business environment, a professional will find this feature useful in tracking news on competitors or to keep an eye on the stock market. A consumer can follow a local news story, their favorite sports team or keep an eye on their favorite celebrity’s latest antics.• Social Jogger simultaneously connects to three of the most popular social networking sites — Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube, presenting them a simple interface on one screen. Users can check posts and updates on one screen at a glance, and use the other screen to view one of the sites in more detail, surf the web, view photos or work on a spreadsheet.• Scrapbook is a convenient place to store website and photo images and other content. It includes a pen tool for drawing or entering handwritten text, such as adding comments or reminders. From there, images can be exported to the clipboard for insertion into other applications, or saved as an image file.• TouchPhoto, TouchMusic and TouchVideo provide direct access to multimedia files stored on the tablet.Easy-to-use Tools Make Navigating Intuitive and Fun
Appearing directly on the Acer Ring are a number of useful functions and tools, including Virtual Keyboard, Gesture Editor, Capture, Webclip, Windows Manager and Device Control. Tapping the desired tool’s icon brings it up for immediate use.• The Virtual Keyboard gives users the ability to enter data and navigate in a familiar fashion. Combined with its touch capabilities, the Iconia Touchbook is a flexible and powerful tablet designed for maximum efficiency and productivity. When both palms are placed on the bottom screen, the virtual full-sized keyboard instantly appears. Adaptive typing and predictive text allows for quick data entry and minimizes mistakes. A numeric touchpad with handwriting recognition converts handwriting to text. The palm rest area can also be customized with any image on the computer – a company logo or a scenic background — so users can personalize the tablet even more.• Gesture Editor is a simple and quick way to instantly launch specific applications, access favorite websites, or even to lock the computer with a simple finger motion. A set of pre-defined gestures is included, but customized gestures can be created in just five easy steps. For example, simply drawing a $ (dollar sign) on the screen can launch a financial or accounting application, or a v (checkmark) can open a to-do list.• The Capture tool allows users to clip parts of an image (a photo, illustration or a webpage) and save it to the Scrapbook application for further editing. It’s a great way to collect images for use in a PowerPoint presentation. And it couldn’t be easier to do. With the picture on the top screen and the Scrapbook page opened on the bottom display, users just tap the Capture tool, run their finger around the desired image and then tap the area to open a menu that will allow them to drag and drop it onto the Scrapbook page. The captured image will automatically be added as a thumbnail image above the scrapbook page for quick and easy viewing. They can then drag and drop the desired thumbnail onto the page, where it can be rotated or resized with pinching actions.• The Web Clip tool is specifically for clipping parts of web pages to save to MyJournal. Tap the screen, select the area to crop, tap and drag on any of the corners of the selected area to size it, and then tap the area again to open a menu to paste the content into MyJournal, Scrapbook or copy it to the clipboard. It can also be saved as a bitmap file.• Window Manager provides a touch-friendly interface for controlling the various open windows on the displays. Users can customize which screen the application appears on as well as its size.• Device Control is an easy way to access and adjust power, display and volume settings, wireless connections and various devices connected to the HDMI, VGA and USB ports.Clear.fi makes data sharing convenient in small office environment or the home
Making it easy to share multimedia content, the Acer Iconia Touchbook features clear.fi, Acer’s digital media sharing solution. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media players and storage devices) and then gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photo, pre-recorded TV). Users can browse the categories and then drag and drop the media to any of the connected PCs or devices for playback.No-Compromises Tablet Features Leading Technology for Maximum Productivity and Fun
A super charged tablet filled with enough leading technology to rival many desktop and notebook PCs in performance, the Iconia-6120 Dual-Screen Touchbook is powerful enough to handle demanding applications and graphic intensive multimedia files. Featuring an Intel® Core™ i5 Processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology(2), 4GB of memory and Intel® HD graphics, the Touchbook is equipped for heavy lifting. In addition, Dolby® Advanced Audio™ v3 brings vibrant sound to business presentations, movies, music, and games.Windows 7 Premium 64-bit provides a familiar computing environment, and is compatible with today’s most popular applications and media formats, and supports full web browsing with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. For professional environments, Windows 7 delivers what is expected in a business-class PC: manageability, security and the ability to run the applications used within most organizations today, including Microsoft Office.To maximize productivity, the Touchbook includes the new USB 3.0 standard with a top speed that’s 10 times faster than standard USB 2.0; a 25GB high definition video file can be transferred from an external USB 3.0 storage device in just 70 seconds and stored on the roomy 640GB SATA hard drive(3). Two 2.0 USB ports and an HDMI port are also included.A 1.3 megapixel HD webcam is ideal for face-to-face videoconferencing or for staying in touch with business associates, friends and family. Connect reliably with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ or Gigabit Ethernet LAN from work, home or while on-the-go. Weighing in at just 6.18 pounds, it’s as convenient to carry as any notebook computer, and fits comfortably in a briefcase or backpack.U.S. Configurations, Pricing and Availability
With an MSRP of $1,199.99, the Acer Iconia-6120 Touchbook is available for pre-sale now and will be available in April at leading retailers nationwide.Canada Configurations, Pricing and Availability
With an MSRP of $1,199.00(CAD), the Acer Iconia-6120 Touchbook will be available in April through authorized Canadian resellers.
Trending Topics Japan: How You Can Help GALAXY Tab 8.9 and 10.1 CTIA 2011 iPad 2 Review 4G Galaxy Tablet Center HTC EVO 3D European launch confirmed
A GSM version of the HTC EVO 3D has been confirmed by HTC France, bringing the glasses-free Android smartphone to Europe. Announced last week at CTIA 2011 for Sprint, according to HTC the EVO 3D will launch with the same name in Europe, though they can’t tell us exactly when.
The EVO 3D is exciting not only for its autostereoscopic display which – like the LG Optimus 3D and Nintendo 3DS – doesn’t require special 3D glasses in order to use, but also because that display runs at qHD resolution, higher than the WVGA panels we’ve been seeing on HTC devices until now. There’s also a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, again a departure for the company; the last batch of GSM devices HTC launched, such as the Desire S we reviewed yesterday, run single-core chips.
Battery life and apps that actually take full advantage of the dual-core processors are still works-in-progress, of course, but therein lies the risk when you’re at the bleeding-edge. More EVO 3D details in our hands-on.
WWDC 2011 looks unlikely to bring any new Apple hardware to the table, but that hasn’t stopped loyal iOS and OS X developers from flocking to the annual coding bash. Tickets to the conference have already sold out, and in fact did so less than 12 hours after going on sale (and despite being $1,599 apiece).The allure is the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Cupertino mothership, with a week of coding workshops, access to Apple engineers and the opportunity to bump ideas up against other Apple developers. There’s also the Apple Design Awards, which every year rewards the best in iOS and Mac apps.
For the rest of us, meanwhile, there’ll be the usual WWDC opening keynote, with Apple promising a preview of what’s coming next in iOS and OS X. That likely means iOS 5.0 and OS X Lion, and you can bet SlashGear will be there to cover all the juicy details.
As expected, Amazon has officially announced its online digital media locker, Amazon Cloud Drive, along with its streaming service, Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Amazon Cloud Player for Android. The Cloud Drive system allows music, video, documents and photos to be uploaded to Amazon’s storage, with 5GB available free (and 20GB if you buy an album from Amazon MP3); Cloud Player then streams MP3 and AAC (including DRM-free iTunes tracks) to PC/Mac, mobile devices and tablets.
One advantage is that Amazon does not require users to actually purchase their digital content in order to store it online. However, if you buy your music from Amazon MP3, keeping it on Cloud Drive won’t count against your overall limit.
Streaming is done at the original bitrate of your files, which means – if you have the bandwidth – high-quality tracks should still sound the same, and you can buy additional storage from $20 per year (see gallery for details). Apple and Google are expected to launch similar services themselves, but Amazon at least gets its offer out of the gate first.
Press Release:Streaming is done at the original bitrate of your files, which means – if you have the bandwidth – high-quality tracks should still sound the same, and you can buy additional storage from $20 per year (see gallery for details). Apple and Google are expected to launch similar services themselves, but Amazon at least gets its offer out of the gate first.
Introducing Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Player for Web, and Amazon Cloud Player for Android
Buy anywhere, play anywhere and keep all your music in one place
Start with 5 GB of free Cloud Drive storage – upgrade to 20 GB free with purchase of any MP3 albumSEATTLE – March 28, 2011 – Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced the launch of Amazon Cloud Drive (www.amazon.com/clouddrive), Amazon Cloud Player for Web (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer) and Amazon Cloud Player for Android (www.amazon.com/cloudplayerandroid). Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloud and play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, wherever they are. Customers can easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive and can save any new Amazon MP3 purchases directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.“We’re excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience,” said Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon. “The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music.”“Our customers have told us they don’t want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices,” Carr said. “Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.”Store Music for FreeCustomers automatically start with 5 GB of Cloud Drive storage to upload their digital music library, and those who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will be upgraded to 20 GB of Cloud Drive space. New Amazon MP3 purchases saved directly to Cloud Drive are stored for free and do not count against a customer’s storage quota.Adding Music to Cloud Drive
Amazon’s easy uploading process makes it simple for customers to save their music library to their Cloud Drive. Files can be stored in AAC or MP3 formats and will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in the original bit rate. Customers can hand-pick particular songs, artists, albums or playlists to upload or simply upload their entire music library.Cloud Player for Web
Customers who have a computer with a Web browser can listen to their music. Cloud Player for Web currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari for Mac, and Chrome. Cloud Player for Web lets customers easily manage their music with download and streaming options. Customers don’t need to worry about regularly updating software on their computer to enjoy music, and Amazon MP3 customers can continue to use iTunes and Windows Media Player to add their music to their iPods and MP3 players.Cloud Player for Android
Cloud Player for Android is now bundled into the new version of the Amazon MP3 App; it includes the full Amazon MP3 Store and the mobile version of Cloud Player. Customers can use the app to play music stored on their Cloud Drive and music stored locally on their device. Features include the ability to search and browse by artist, album or song, create playlists and download music from Cloud Drive.Secure Storage
Customers never need to worry about losing their music collection to a hard drive crash again. Files are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and each file is uploaded to Cloud Drive in its original bit rate. Customers can buy music anywhere and know that their MP3s are safely stored in Cloud Drive and accessible from any device.Store More than Music
Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files; music, photos, videos and documents can be stored securely and are available via web browser on any computer. In addition to the 5 GB of free storage, customers can purchase storage plans starting at $20 a year for 20 GB.
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